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maintenance monitoring technology.
The Role of the Building Owner or Manager in Elevator & Escalator Safety
When we think of elevator and escalator safety, many people assume it is the responsibility of the elevator manufacturer and the elevator service company. However, the building owner or manager and the riding public also play a vital role in elevator and escalator safety.
Once elevator or escalator equipment is installed, tested, inspected and put into service, the building owner or manager owns the equipment. As such, it becomes their responsibility to ensure that all components are properly inspected, tested and maintained. The ASME A17.1/CSA B44 Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators provides all the necessary requirements for inspection, testing, maintenance and repair of elevators and escalators:
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Section 8.6 provides requirements for maintenance, repair and testing
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Section 8.11 provides requirements for inspection and witnessing of tests
Authorities having jurisdiction (AHJ) specifies the required intervals for inspection and testing which may be based on the recommendations in Appendix N Proper maintenance of elevators and escalators is vital. The responsibility falls to the building owner for making sure that each system is properly maintained. Typically, owners hire a service company with trained elevator and escalator mechanics to provide all equipment maintenance. Just like a homeowner: when you buy a home, you’re the one in charge to make all the necessary repairs, if/when a pipe bursts or a foundation cracks. Who do you call in that situation? A professional.
Every elevator and escalator is required to have a Maintenance Control Program (MCP), which is essentially a detailed guide to ensure proper maintenance throughout the life of the equipment. But building owner responsibility doesn’t end there. Even though service companies perform the maintenance and repair of the equipment, the owner is tasked with making sure each system operates safely and is up to date on inspections and tests. Even though inspection and test requirements vary by jurisdiction, it is up to the building owner to ensure that these are being done.
There are a few things that building owners can do proactively. One is to ensure the equipment is performing properly by appointing someone to be responsible for routine elevator and escalator examinations. What exactly should they be looking for? That person should observe the following:
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Equipment is operating normally, no noises or abnormal odor
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No loose or missing features
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The area around the equipment is clean and free of anything that could disrupt normal operation.
They should also immediately take the equipment out of service and notify the elevator repair service if they
observe any unsafe conditions.
Information Provided by National Elevator Industry, Inc.
September 1, 2015 edition of The Insider
more important OWNER INFORMATION
"Ultimately, the owner is responsible for making sure the elevator is maintained to code and complies with Florida law. That responsibility cannot be signed away in a service maintenance contract. If the elevator is deemed unsafe due to a lack of proper maintenance, it is the elevator owner who will be fined, have their license suspended and have to deal with the elevator being shut down and unusable.
Being responsible for an elevator is more than just paying for a license and signing a contract for elevator services. An elevator owner or operator is responsible for providing an elevator that is safe to ride."
- Division of Hotels & Restaurants - Bureau of Elevator Safety - DBPR
Ensure Proper Maintenance on your equipment.
It's your responsibility.
monitor your
elevator maintenance.
Gotta have it.
For a surprisingly low cost, you can now begin to hold your elevator company accountable by monitoring their every move. Elevator Management Solutions Inc's patent pending method is the first of it's kind for the elevator industry. Our concept is simple. Technicians can easily download our app from the app store. Once downloaded, they can log in with the credentials given to them from the building. Those credentials are specific to that building. The Technician will follow simple Yes or No questions and complete the inspection. Once finished, all the information is automatically sent to our secure servers and will be automatically emailed to elevator owners and management companies to view reports. These reports can be accessed at at anytime.
Our system does not require the elevator technician to add any additional work outside their initial scope of maintenance. The questions within the app have been carefully written by a 40 year QEI veteran who designed the questions to keep your elevators safe and in compliance. The overall concept of our service is to hold the elevator company accountable to the work they are already contracted to do.
If you are interested in monitoring the maintenance of your elevators, please complete the Registration form on this page. Thank you for your interest and we look forward to being your compliance partner.
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